


Let Me Help You

by starkerswonderland



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), Spider-Man - All Media Types
Genre: And does not want to be alone, Angst, Both comfort each other, M/M, Peter caught a cold, Peter has terrible nightmares, Tony comforts him
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-09
Updated: 2021-01-09
Packaged: 2021-03-13 12:29:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,021
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28653537
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starkerswonderland/pseuds/starkerswonderland
Summary: Peter Parker is alone at home. The worst time to catch a cold, especially because he always has terrible nightmares when he is sick. He calls the only number he knows by heart and there comes his hero.
Relationships: Peter Parker/Tony Stark
Comments: 8
Kudos: 101





	Let Me Help You

**Author's Note:**

> Hey lovely sweethearts! This is from another request on tumblr!  
> "Peter has a terrible nightmare and goes to tony for comfort request"  
> It got a bit angsty but there is definitely comfort in here!  
> Nightmares suck!  
> Love you all :)

Peter tried to sleep; he really did. So hard.  
  
Rolling over to his side, he pulled the blanket up higher, so that not more than his face was visible.  
He was freezing like crazy, even though he was already wearing some soft, fleece pyjama and was well hidden under his thick blanket.

Maybe that was why he couldn’t sleep; it was hard to fall into the heavenly peace of a deep sleep when your body trembled like a leaf. He wasn’t a person to feel cold easily, due to his amazing metabolism, but here he was, quivering, his teeth chattering, losing hope to feel warm again anytime soon. The simplest explanation was also the one Peter didn’t like the most. He was probably going to be sick. Somewhere between swinging through skyscrapers or balancing on cranes he probably caught a cold. Not unusual for the winter season but…unusual for Peter.

He hated being sick…it always made him feel…helpless, in a way. He knew it was not a big deal.  
Just that it was… The last time Peter was really sick, his parents had cared about him…They always cared about him in the most loving, sweet way and with them on his side, he felt protected, save, nothing in this world could hurt him. And then they were gone…and with them the feeling of being save, protected and well cared of was gone too.

Of course, his aunt and uncle had always cared about him, if he got sick, they made him soup, brought him medicine, whatever was needed. But it just wasn’t the same anymore. Each time, it reminded him of what was missing. The soft hand of a mother on his forehead, the pitiful smile of his Dad assuring him he would be fit in no time again.

Right now…May was gone. He was all alone at home, just for a few days and it was exactly now that his immune system decided to mess with him. He refused to be sick…he didn’t want to be reminded and he didn’t want to be alone with it. He closed his eyes for the millionth time, forcing away the cold, forcing away the headache. He needed to sleep; it would all be alright after a full night of sleep. If he got one. There was one thing that, unfortunately, had never changed since his childhood days.

Whenever he was sick…he got the worst nightmares.

-

His breath was shaky, his muscles flexing uncontrolled. Peter was tossing and turning in his bed, a muffled sob escaping his lips, before he sat up straight in shock, gasping. His vision was blurred and he could feel his heart beating in every part of his body. No air. There was no air…he grabbed the collar of his pyjama, almost ripping in in an helpless attempt to breathe. Something in his head told him that this wasn’t real. Just that it felt real. Tears ran down his cheeks and finally, air filled his lungs and he looked around in the darkness of his room. The college books on the desk…his clothes on the side…everything suddenly seemed threatening, his senses playing games with him.

“…I…I…please….oh god please…”, he whimpered, burying his face in his hands. He needed to calm, but as soon as his eyes were closed again he saw images flashing in front of his eyes. It was just a dream. Still, it felt so real. Shaky fingers searched for his phone and as he got it, he tried to dial. He did not even try to scroll through any contacts, he just typed in the only phone number he knew by heart.

His body trembled and he felt like choking on his sobs as he listened to the calm, steady tone his phone made. Then there was a voice. The only voice he needed to hear.

“Kid, it’s 3 am, you should not be awake and- “, Tony stopped midsentence as Peter sobbed. “…Okay calm, Peter. What’s going on? Where are you?”, his voice now sounded so concerned and Peter wished he could let him know that he wasn’t in danger or anything, he just…. needed him.

“Breathe, alright? Do that for me…In and out…come on, you know how that works...”, Tony continued, a little noise in the background. The man was probably in his lab, which would explain why he picked up the phone so quick and didn’t sound tired at all. Normally, Peter would be quite a bit worried that Tony did not sleep much. Right now, he was just thankful.

“C…C…Can you please come”, he managed to say, trying hard to breathe steady. It was easier sad than done. He felt a heavy invisible weight on his chest, pressing down on him. Like in his dream. He shook his head, refusing to think about it. “Please….”

He sniffed, did not even notice Tony already answered. He was so caught up in his panic, that he did not realize how much time passed, it was only when there was a firm knock on the door to his apartment that he looked up. “It’s me…open up..”, Tony told him through the phone. The phone that now crashed down on the floor as Peter hurried out of the bed only to run to the door and practically jumped into the man’s arms. He was wearing the Iron Man suit, the metal was cold on Peter’s skin, much too cold to be comfortable and Tony had to grab the boy and put him down. “Wait…just a moment”, he said and opened his suit with a tap to his chest, the suit disappearing completely.

“Pete, what’s wrong?”, he then asked, taking the younger one back into his arms. Peter buried his face in his chest. The panic slowly vanished, leaving him cold and empty, but not for long.

Another feeling washed over him. A feeling he knew…it was sent through his body, radiating from Tony. Safe. Protected. Cared. Breathing got so much easier…the weight on his chest was gone, chased away by Iron Man himself.

Peter opened his eyes as calloused fingers traced over his cheek. He looked into warm chocolate eyes. “You’re alright…You’re fine…I’m here…”, Tony promised him in a low tone and Peter nodded, gently resting his forehead against Tony’s chest again.

-

They sat on the couch, Peter was wrapped in a blanket, a cup of tea in his hands. His eyes were still a bit red, just like his nose.

“You wanna tell me what that nightmare was about?”, Tony asked, placing one of his arms on the backrest behind Peter. He wasn’t known for being the perfect caretaker but here he was. He made Peter have hot shower, change into warmer clothes, made some tea for him and got some medication. It was obvious to him the boy had fever, probably just a cold, but still he wanted him to feel better. Fast.

Peter chewed on his lip, sipping on the tea before he looked at Tony. “I would like to not think about it anymore…I guess…”

Tony nodded, gently moving his hand to the back of Peter’s head. “That’s fine. But if you feel like talking about it, just to get it out of your mind, I am here for it.”

-

Tony stayed. He stayed the whole night…and the following day.

Peter didn’t know how he deserved to have so much of Tony’s time but he was more than grateful. He did not dare to ask Tony to stay for one more night and so he was nervous as the evening came. Would he be left alone? Would he be able to sleep if he was alone?

“Uhm…You…. probably want to go ho-“, Peter stopped as Tony raised a hand. “No worries. I’ll stay. I will just fly home, change clothes, get some food and stuff. You alright?”, he asked and Peter nodded, a smile forming on his lips. There was this feeling again…a feeling he missed for so many years… Safe... protected…cared. “Alright.”

-

_Peter screamed. He screamed for help, again and again, but no one was there to help. He was stuck under this building, there was pain in every inch of his body. He couldn’t breathe, the weight of concrete walls pressing down on his chest. All he could do was to scream…to….watch._

_He could see Tony in his Iron Man suit. The armoured man was on the ground…the suit was damaged…he wasn’t moving…Peter had to reach him…but he couldn’t…so he screamed…he screamed for help…for anyone to save him._

Peter woke up with a gasp, he was bathed in sweat, his breathing faltering. He felt the urge to find his phone, to call for…

Two arms wrapped around his body from behind. He felt Tony’s chest in his back. “…shhh…breathe…you are alright…nothing’s wrong…it was just a dream”, a smooth deep voice promised to him and he felt a kiss being placed to his neck. “You’re alright…”

Peter’s body slowly sank down into the arms that held him, he closed his eyes and filled his lungs with air, felt the panic vanish so much faster than last time.

“Nightmare again, mh?”, Tony asked and gently moved his hands up and down Peter’s arms.

“…I…I always see you..and…you…are dying…but I cannot reach you..I am stuck under a…building…it hurts so much and…I am trapped…and I cannot help…I-“

“Shhh…”, Tony held him tighter, resting his chin on Peter’s head. “I am alright…and so are you.”

It took a bit longer but eventually, Peter calmed completely. The images of his nightmare were still present, but they didn’t feel as scary anymore.

“…Why do I dream such things…it..kills me..”, he whispered into the darkness of the room.

“Sometimes our mind shows us our biggest fears…being followed…trapped…helpless…in pain…desperate…”, Tony murmured and ran his fingers through the boy’s curls. “I heard it’s a coping mechanism….the brain tries to prepare you for horrible situations by making you feel them without REALLY experiencing them. I do not know if that is true. I don’t know if it is true that dreams show us what we are afraid of, or what haunts us deep inside…”, Tony looked at Peter, seeing not more than the outlines of his face, a little glimmer of light in those eyes.

“But what I know…is that it can hurt. Because it feels real. It takes us to places we don’t want to be. It can…make us afraid to fall asleep…”, he brushed his finger along Peter’s cheek. “But I also know…that it can never really hurt us. And it cannot control us, if we do not allow it. In the end…it’s just a dream…we may not be able to control it…but we can control what we do in our real lives...”

Peter looked at Tony, his lips slightly parted as he took in his words. He wondered if Tony maybe was always awake because he was tortured by nightmares too… and then he wondered if maybe, together, they would be able to just sleep, without fear, without nightmares.

“Will you help me…? To get my control back..?”, Peter whispered.

“Anything you want, Pete…Whenever you need me, I’ll be here…”, the man promised and smiled.

“And…will you let me…?”, Peter asked, shifting a bit closer.

Tony frowned, his hand stilling on Peter’s cheek as the boy moved closer, their lips almost touched…

“Let you what?”, he asked, not louder than a whisper.

“Let me help you…to get your control back, too…”

Tony felt his heart stopping for a moment, felt his muscles tensing.  
  
“I…I don’t know what you..”, he was stopped by Peter’s lips, those soft, wonderful lips that kissed him now and for a moment he felt like…maybe…he could allow Peter to help him too.


End file.
